The Saddest Restaurant Closings to Know in Las Vegas, September 2025
Las Vegas’s dining scene is constantly evolving and September saw the stunning closures of restaurants from two James Beard Award winners (both at the Palms), along with the sudden end of Emmitt Smith’s run as a restaurateur in Las Vegas. Below is a curated list of the city’s most noteworthy restaurant and bar closures from the past month, along with those that have publicly announced upcoming final service dates.
This is a curated list of Las Vegas’s most notable restaurant and bar closures. See a closing we missed? Then drop us a line.
Emmitt’s Vegas
Despite its prime stripfront location at Fashion Show mall, Emmitt’s Vegas struggled from the start. Owned by NFL legend Emmitt Smith — the league’s all-time leading rusher and a Hall of Fame inductee — the restaurant hit roadblocks even before its opening: Challenges included construction delays and a lawsuit involving chef Rainer Schwarz (the restaurant’s original executive chef); when the steakhouse finally opened in February 2024, it received a lukewarm reception. Ultimately, Emmitt’s never found a foothold and fumbled its way to an abrupt closure with its landlord changing the locks and posting a letter on the door saying the restaurant was allegedly delinquent in paying rent to the tune of $407,730.88.
During its short tenure, the restaurant served typical steakhouse fare like seafood and massive cuts of beef, including 40-ounce tomahawk. The restaurant also featured a raw bar and a dozen sushi rolls on the menu.
In a statement obtained by Eater, Emmitt’s management group Clarkway Entertainment said: “We regret to confirm that Emmitt’s Vegas is currently closed as we carefully evaluate the best path forward for the restaurant. As you know, this is a challenging time for the Las Vegas hospitality industry. While we don’t have additional details to share just yet, we remain deeply grateful to our outstanding team and to the thousands of guests who have joined us since our opening.”
Tailgate Social Sports Bar & Grill
It’s game over for Palace Station’s de facto sports bar and pub. The final whistle for Tailgate Social came on August 31, right before football season, when it was typically the busiest. The menu was a mix of chicken wings, nachos, burgers, and pizza; a highlight in recent summers had been its Tailgate’s New England-style lobster boil promotion. The special featured a whole Maine lobster with little neck clams, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and red bliss potatoes for a tidy $28. Station Casinos has announced that Master Kim’s Korean BBQ will fill the space with an anticipated opening date of spring 2026.
Leoncito
In more Station Casinos news, the company has closed Mexican restaurant Leoncito at Red Rock Casino. Its last day of service will be Sunday, September 28. The restaurant opened in 2023 with a menu of Mexican favorites and popular dishes such as earthy chicken mole poblano or grilled whole branzino, accompanied with multiple sauces. Perhaps most notable was Leoncito’s massive collection of artisanal tequilas and mezcals (totaling over 200) that were available to sip or for use in its artisanal cocktails. There is no word on a new restaurant for the space.
EDO Tapas and Wine
It’s the end of an era for EDO Tapas and Wine. The restaurant’s celebrated seven-year run ended in September when chef Oscar Amador and former Bazaar Meat general manager Roberto Liendo decided EDO’s time was up. Opened in 2018 in a Chinatown strip mall, the small 35-seat restaurant became a dining destination serving Barcelona-inspired fare with prix-fixe menus, innovative tapas, and a rolling gin and tonic cart. There is some good news. A new restaurant is likely coming from the pair — and you can still get the Green Tartare with pistachio vinaigrette at its outpost, Anima by EDO.
Mabel’s Bar & Q
James Beard Award-winner and Food Network star Michael Symon is calling it quits at the Palms. The Iron Chef decided to part ways with the resort and closed Mabel’s Bar & Q on September 12. The popular restaurant, which opened in “Sadly, all good things have come to an end, so we have made a team decision to move on from Mabel’s at Palms,” Symon says in a statement to Eater. “We are excited about the future for both us and them and we wish everyone there continued success as they have always done right by us and their patrons, and it will always be one of our favorite resorts in Las Vegas.”
Vetri Cucina
Another Palms veteran (and James Beard winner) is leaving the resort. Chef Marc Vetri closed Vetri Cucina for good on September 27. Known for expansive views from its 56th-floor perch, the upscale Italian restaurant first opened in November 2018 but closed at the start of the pandemic and remained shuttered for two and a half years before reopening. Vetri offered an approachable five-course tasting menu, fresh pasta like spinach gnocchi in a rich brown butter sauce, salt-baked branzino, and a decadent duck with roasted rosemary plum and endive. The Palms has not announced what will go into the coveted space.
Bar Code Burger Bar
A mainstay on Eater’s best burgers list has closed. For nearly 10 years, Bar Code was the go-to joint for sports fans and video poker players with an affinity for a deeply seasoned, thick patty. What we’ll miss: the runny egg and crisp bacon on the Hangover Burger, and the beer onion jam, bacon aioli, pickled onions, and blue cheese butter found on its namesake burger.
